We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. This website uses cookies that provide targeted advertising and which track your use of this website. By clicking ‘continue’ or by continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.ContinueFind out more

2Music A short musical passage in two or more phrases used for singing unmetrical words; a psalm or canticle sung to such music.

‘Although I enjoy chants and church music quite a bit, I had not, for some time, felt the need to attend a church service.’

‘The first part consists of an antiphonal chant from the Service for the Thursday Preceding Good Friday.’

‘Contrast was provided by alternating choral chant with passages sung by soloists.’

‘Perhaps as a moralizing subtext, Alexander piped in a recording of a monastic chant of Psalm 51, a prayer for the remission of sins.’

‘At Milan, where at first he used to come to the cathedral to admire Ambrose's oratorical skill, he found himself not only impressed by the content of the discourses but also gripped by the psalm chants.’

2.1mass nounThe style of music consisting of chants.

‘Gregorian chant’

‘He commented that he enjoys singing earlier music particularly, and mentioned chant specifically.’

‘A noted musicologist whose interests include chant, medieval music and Tudor keyboard music, he has written many chamber and choral pieces.’

‘Symphony No 3 is a more expansive, more fully developed piece which emerged from a protracted period of study of chant and early polyphony.’

‘We must simply accept a phenomenon whereby the sheer beauty of sound in medieval chant has swept so many off their feet.’

‘It's a style that characterises Byzantine chant, which emerged in the Eastern Church, and is continued in today's Greek Orthodox tradition.’

verb

[with object]

1Say or shout repeatedly in a sing-song tone.

‘protesters were chanting slogans’

no object‘everyone was singing and chanting’

‘Some brandished sticks, banners and fists, others chanted slogans.’

‘They really are better at wearing the ribbons and badges, chanting the slogans and marching on the demonstrations.’

‘The children formed a circle around her and began to chant the familiar hide-and-seek song.’

‘As the bands play, militant hippies outside, balking at the $14 admission price, chant for free music and clash bloodily with police.’

‘Eddie faded slowly to his knees but fought back as the crowd chanted his name.’

‘The crowd is still chanting his name, but he slips off and sleeps on the way back to London.’

‘There was a truck load of guys singing and chanting and another jeep of young girls in white national dress singing as well.’

‘He held his lead as the crowd chanted his name but could not prevent the inevitable as the older, stronger and more experienced man broke again.’

‘About two dozen teenage supporters were heard chanting and shouting abusive language throughout the first half.’

‘The young people joined in with the rest of the huge crowd singing and chanting all of the famous football songs and anthems.’